Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Of course, there are different views within the Government on the substantive issue of the eighth amendment but there are many different views in wider society. I would like to bring people around to my point of view, which is to repeal the amendment and to get it over the line in a well-thought out, comprehensive manner. I hope we have all learned from the marriage equality referendum. We had to bring people with us and encourage change. That is the way forward. The Constitutional Convention helped to win the referendum. Politics is about bringing people with you and winning the referendum, and I believe that will happen.

I also strongly believe in the separation of church and State. We will not vote down the Bill. We have tabled a reasoned amendment to it because the Bill pre-empts the work of the Citizen's Assembly, the agreed independent process set out in A Programme for a Partnership Government to deal with this issue and approved by both the Dáil and the Seanad. That is the position I find myself in. Earlier, we asked the Business Committee to set in train the work to get ready for it. We will not adopt a collective policy position for the committee's deliberations.

I support the repeal of the eighth amendment and I want to ensure all women in the State are treated with respect and dignity, with their health and well-being at the top of my political agenda. The process has started and we can win the referendum to repeal the amendment. This will happen sooner than many Members think. I thank all of them for the differing views and for the way the debate has been conducted so far.

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